Air Traffic Navigation Services ATNS will seek additional extensions from the South African Civil Aviation Authority CAA for temporary alternative means of compliance AMOC on flight procedures at certain airports, including OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka.
During a briefing on ATNS last week , Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy ,confirmed that ATNS was currently operating under temporary alternative means of compliance for certain procedures at several airports, with these set to expire on April 10. If extensions are not granted, flight operations across the country could be affected. Creecy has said that it was unlikely that the flight procedures would be ready before April.
In a briefing on March 17, Creecy explained that ATNS had divided the procedures into two categories, and would prioritise applications for extensions of AMOCs at large airports.
The first category is procedures that relate to the large airports OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, and George Airport. There are 35 flight procedures that are covered in that category, and we don't think that these will all be ready by April 8. We are submitting an application to the CAA to get a limited extension on the AMOCs for these 35 priority procedures, said Creecy.
The second category consists of procedures at smaller airports in Polokwane, Richards Bay, Upington, Bloemfontein, Mthatha and Kruger. Creecy explained that ATNS would apply for longer-term AMOC extensions for these airports, and might submit these flight procedures for approval later in April and in May.